We can't deny that people are all born with different personalities and bodies. But the choices we make along the way define us as a person. Take those born with a disability. They can choose to live a sedentary life or fight against their constraints to live beyond their expectations. This is shown in the courageous paralympians who attempt seemingly impossible tasks.

www.bbc.co.uk

Winter games are held on ice and snow, which gives taking part with a disability an added risk. The other day, UK skier Kelly Gallagher won ParalympicGB's first ever gold at the Winter Games with victory in the visually impaired Super-G in Sochi. The white-haired 28-year-old from Ireland was aided by her guide, Charlotte Evans. They communicate on their way down the slopes via bluetooth headsets while traveling at speeds of up to 100km/h. Just imagine hurtling down a slope which you can barely see, with only a guide to rely on. Back in 1956, disabled people would never have attempted to compete in sports. They were hidden away from sight.

Melbourne 1956 - www.oobject.com

The Melbourne 1956 Games was the first time Australia hosted the Olympics. In many ways, it was the Games that took the Olympics to the world. It was the first Games held outside of Europe or the United States, or held in the southern hemisphere, the first where live television broadcasts captured the public’s imagination, and the first Games in which all the athletes walked together as one in the Closing Ceremony. Over 3,000 athletes participated from 67 countries. I was there in Melbourne at the time. I walked the city street as a tall, well-endowed 15 year-old, straining to catch sight of athletes from around the world. That was one of the most exciting times of my life. And the athletes were all too happy to chat to an excited teenager in the quiet of the city's Sunday morning. Back then, shops closed for Sunday, so the city was like a ghost town. I remember the torch-lighting ceremony and my idol Ron Clarke lighting the beacon. Admittance was too expensive for my family so we viewed the spectacle on television. Not in the comfort of our own home. Back then, few people owned a set. We stood on the street outside the closest electrical store, mouths open. Athletes over the centuries have chosen to train their bodies to achieve the highest standards. Competition drives them to push beyond the limit. Able-bodied or not, we are all people. We should let nothing stand in the way of achieving our goal.

I enjoyed your memories - what a simpler time,when Olympic athletes would have stopped to talk to a teenager. My father suffered a head injury in his military service during World War II, and I can attest to the way different way people with disabilities were treated in the1950's - of course, if today's ParaOlympians had to compete using the mobility devices of the 1950's the ParaOlympics might be a bit - let's say more interesting?